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6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,November 23, 2010 OPINION Lock it or lose it While the holiday season brings out the best in many people there is an element of society which also looks forward to this time of year. Thieves. With residents busily bustling in and out of stores during the coming weeks, the dregs of society view this time of year as a their own personal `shopping' bonanza. Leaving your vehicle unlocked or items in plain sight is simply an invitation to have them stolen. The Halton Regional Police Service would like to remind citizens to be cognizant and diligent by locking their vehicles and hiding valuable items. Adhering to the following proactive recommendations may deter thieves from stealing your valuables: · Lock your vehicle and remove all valuable items from plain view. Items such as: GPS units, laptops, wallets, cellular phones and any other item of monetary value. · Simply locking your vehicle while valuable items are still visible inside provides a false sense of security. Thieves will smash the windows in order to gain quick access. · Be particularly cognizant when purchasing expensive electronic equipment and then storing it in your vehicle. The best alternative is to transport these items directly to your home. If this is not a feasible option, lock the valuable item in the trunk of your vehicle. · Do not leave your vehicle running, unlocked and unattended while warming up in the driveway. Don't enable thieves to steal your valuable items. Remove the opportunity and reduce your likelihood of being victimized. Anyone with suspect information or information pertaining to any thefts is asked to call the 905-878-5511 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier Editorial Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@independentfreepress.com) WEB POLL RESULTS Christmas sales, ads and music have begun. When do you think is the best time to start celebrating the holiday season? · Anytime after Remembrance Day (19%) · Anytime after November 1 (7%) · Anytime after Dec. 1 (43%) · Two weeks before Dec. 25-- tops (31%) Steve Nease Go to www.independentfreepress.com Letters to the editor Local drivers get `love letter' Dear editor, A love letter to Georgetown drivers. To my lovely neighbour speeding down Eighth Line between Steeles Avenue and 10 Sideroad, passing me doing 120 km-h only to get a whole metre ahead of me at the stoplight, I am in awe at how cool you are taking the initiative to ensure that you risk not only your own life but mine, too. Wow! My favourite Arbor Glen friend, who tailgates me on Main Street between Maple Avenue and 15 Sideroad, so close that we might actually touch. I enjoy so much the thought of what baby cars our two vehicles would make should they actually smash together. Lord knows I could use a Porche/Toyota hybrid. And how could I forget the angrily honking cars, veering past me on Charles Street because I have the audacity to pull into my own driveway at a reasonable speed. I sincerely apologize for making you five seconds slower to reaching your destination! How self-centered of me. In the future I will be sure to think of your needs before mine. While we're at it, I am remiss not to mention all of the idling cars hanging outside corner stores, the mall, Tim Hortons and the Beer Store. Really, I admire how bold you are not to turn off your vehicle, and instead decided to use our precious oil resources in such an efficient and meaningful way. Cheers to you! Sarah Walker, Georgetown It is unfortunate enough that celiac suffers are excluded from many foods the general public consumes and that they have to pay ridiculous amounts to purchase them, but to also be excluded from enjoying the sacred communion wafer is tragic. I think it is high time that the Catholic church acknowledges this affliction and steps into the millennium. Susan Hynes, Georgetown beaucoup Wafer dilemma Merci Dear editor We would like to thank you, on behalf of `Le comité de l'environnement de l'école SacréCoeur' for the wonderful articles that appeared in the paper on November 4. Not only did you use the words written by our students (we are very proud of them) but you managed to give a positive twist to the entire rather sad situation. Thanks again! Maryse Mallet-Sinnis Francine Gilmour Natalie Leblanc Enseignantes responsables du comité de l'environnement École Sacré-Coeur Georgetown Letters to the editor policy Letters must include an address and daytime telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Publication is not guaranteed. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. The Independent & Free Press The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Dear editor, My seven-year-old niece, who has celiac disease, is preparing for her first Holy Communion. Celiac disease is a body's intolerance to gluten. The only communion wafers the Catholic church offers contain gluten, which church doctrine states the wafer must contain. If celiac disease had been recognized back in Jesus' time, undoubtedly He would have offered both wheaten and gluten-free bread at His table. He would not turn away the gluten-intolerant. He would make changes so that they felt equal, wanted and welcome in His house.